Archive for October, 2012

Mack’s new play based on the life of Revolutionary War soldier Deborah Sampson appears in the November/December 2012 issue of Scholastic’sStoryworks magazine. History recognizes Sampson as being the first female to serve the country as a soldier–though she had to disguise herself as a man and go by the name Robert Shurtliff to make it possible. “The Secret Soldier” is a true story, but Deborah’s life is far from being easy to map. Regardless of which account one believes, there’s no doubting Deborah served in the U.S. military, was wounded, and eventually received a military pension. To find out more about Deborah, visit archive.org or DistinguisedWomen.com. You can also get a sneak peak of the Storyworks play by clicking here. Follow instructions on the website to become a subscriber, which gets you access to a wide variety of accompanying comprehension activities and Smartboard lessons.

What would you do with three wishes? Readers of The Monkey’s Paw learn that those who meddle with fate do so at their own peril! Just in time for Halloween, this adaptation of W.W. Jacobs’s gothic masterpiece is perfect for fourth through eighth graders. It was originally published in the April 23rd, 2012, issue of Scholastic’s Scope magazine. Teachers can use it as fluency-building reader’s theater or as as a full production or podcast. It’s twenty-minutes long, includes six pages, and has parts for up to eleven students. It’s now available at our storefront on TeachersPayTeachers. The original purchaser is licensed to reproduce one class set per year.